Mythology as a source of innovation
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” — A. C. Clarke
Let’s do a mental experiment. Let us imagine how one would explain the operational principles of modern telecommunications to a person born hundreds of years ago. Your spoken words, images, even written texts get converted into strings of only two numbers, ones, and zeros and then turned into little invisible waves, oscillations of particles so tiny that they cannot be seen by a human eye or into little blinks of light. Your words thus transmuted travel through the air or web of underground fibers made of glass! They move from a machine to a machine finding their own way to a recipient on any place of the globe. They travel so fast that it seems to be almost instantaneous: It is not only your voice that can be transmitted in this manner but also your visage. The image of your face can be seen in lifelike color and movement instantly on a device resembling a mirror at any place in the world at any moment!
How would these words sound to a person that has never seen a moving image of a film projection or even a photo? Surely, this cannot be a result of anything else but some arcane magic!
We have grown with the notion that works of science fiction provide us with a readymade set of ideas for new inventions and innovations. Indeed, science fiction as a recognizable literary genre is just over a hundred years old, yet there is an extensive list of devices and concepts, from submarines to VR headsets that were first described on pages of sci-fi novels or movies only to later enter everyday lives.
However, I argue that this assumption is somewhat misleading! The very term science fiction consists of two words, science, and fiction. It is easy to assume that the scientific part is what provides us with a solid foundation for innovative ideas. Yet this is demonstrably false.
Consider a submarine. The idea of the device that travels under the sea has been first described in the works of Jules Verne a decade before the first such device was built. A clear-cut example one would assume. However, consider what is the actual purpose of this device, what is the original need that this device tries to satisfy?
Don’t forget that question of need is fundamental to any invention.
The submarine is a result of the human desire to be able to spend indefinite time under the water, to travel freely under the surface of the sea. The same desire can in other ways be fulfilled with a range of other devices, such as snorkels and scuba gear. Obviously, all these devices have found different purposes and applications, yet they are all motivated by the same fundamental idea, to be able to stay underwater. This ability was described in numerous works of fiction, belonging to fantasy and mythology long before Jules Verne published his novel.
There lies the basic distinction I want to highlight. Science fiction provides us with a concrete blueprint (feasible or not) for a solution for a problem, mythology provides us with the formulation of the problem.
A modern cell phone is a telepathy device, allowing contact over infinite distance to any desired person; a kevlar vest is a device that renders its wearer immune to bullets and arrows; drones equipped with cameras are the modern equivalent of a spell of possession by which a sorcerer turns himself or takes control over a body of a bird to temporarily gain a bird’s eye view of the world; crystal balls are nothing but computer screens.
These concepts are created out of the raw power of human imagination and the desire to overcome the limitations of our biology. They are technology agnostic, just as any design specification should be!
On the other hand, sci-fi is often a hostage of the “scientific” part of its identity. Sci-fi authors feel obliged to provide visions of the future that seem at least plausible given the technology of their own era. They are thus, bound by that technology and quite often blinded by it.
“Nuclear-powered vacuum cleaners will probably be a reality in 10 years.” — Alex Lewyt, president of vacuum cleaner company Lewyt Corp., in the New York Times in 1955.
In looking for inspiration for future inventions one should therefore dive into works of fantasy and mythology. They are the ones formulating the needs! Every trope found in such fiction is a potential innovation idea, as it formulates some need or even potential use case. Quite often these desires had thousands of years and countless iterations to ferment and crystalize.
Key Takeaways
- Make flying carpets, not jetpacks.
Links
- List of Mythological Objects
- Sampo — a device from Finnish mythology
- Sunstone — a Viking mythical navigation device
- Icarus — an idea of a manmade flying machine
- Talos — a legendary ancient greek automaton defender of Crete
- Golem — a manmade anthropomorphic creation capable of performing heavy manual work, predating the modern concept of robots.
- Belle Epoque Futurism — a Pinterest board
